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The Poetry of Math and the Math of Poetry

A Lesson by Hamzah Jhaveri


Chief of Interdisciplinary Mathematics and Design, Orlando Math Circle
"Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.

Albert Einstein

Introduction

Many people believe that certain things dont mix well. Ketchup and
waffles. Sweaters and summertime. Math and poetry. While the first two of these
examples may be true for some people, the third is certainly not. Though the
subjects seem so far apart, math and poetry are actually connected in several
ways. For one, they have both been around for ages, and have evolved much since
their original development. They can both be bound by certain rules or free from
them. And, they both require an incredible amount of creativity. Though there
are many intersections between math and poetry, for the sake of simplicity, we
are only going to observe three: symmetry, patterns, and symbols.

Symmetry
In math, symmetry is most commonly seen in geometry and graphing.
Squares, triangles, circles, rectangles, octagons, pentagons, and hexagons are
oftentimes symmetrical in some way. Asymmetry, when an object is not
symmetrical, is also common in math. Certain irregular shapes are not considered
symmetrical. In poetry, authors often use symmetry and asymmetry to give their
poems a certain effect. For example, a Diamante poem is a seven-lined, diamond-
shaped poem that follows certain rules (see Activity 2). Here are some examples
of symmetry and asymmetry in poetry and math.
Symmetrical Asymmetrical

A Diamante Poem

square
symmetrical, conventional Batty by Shel Silverstein
shaping, measuring, balancing
boxes, rooms, clocks, halos The baby bat
encircling, circumnavigating, enclosing Screamed out in fright,
round, continuous Turn on the dark,
circle Im afraid of the light.

* Challenge: draw the lines of


symmetry on the shapes and the
poem!

Patterns
One of the most common themes in math is the pattern. Patterns of
numbers, shapes, and functions are all key to understanding how math works. For
example, if you saw the numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7 what would be the next number
in line? It would be 9 because the pattern is of odd numbers starting at 1.
Similarly, patterns are also key to poetry. The most common type of pattern in
poetry is rhyming. Rhyming uses patterns of repeated sounds to give a certain
effect to the reader. Although rhyming is the most common pattern in poetry, its
not the only type. Poets often repeat sentences, words, and the way they organize
their poems. Explore some examples of patterns in poetry and math!
from One Fish, Two Fish, Red
Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Black fish
blue fish complete this
old fish 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 fractal!
new fish
2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64
This one has a little star. 1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000
This one has a little car.
Say! what a lot Tricky!
of fish there are. 5, 9, 17, 33, 65

* Challenge: find the next number or


shape in the math patterns!

Symbols
What is a number? Its a symbol that represents a value. When I write the
number 300 on a check, Im really saying three-hundred dollars. Our age is a
number that represents how long weve lived in years. Symbols can change (we
learn about this in Algebra!), or even mean the same thing (2 = 1+1). So
because a number is a symbol, symbols are a big part of math. Symbols are also
used in poetry, but in a different way. Poets use words or ideas to symbolize
different words or ideas. For example, if a poet says her dogs personality is like
the summertime, she might really be saying that her dog is as joyful as summer
is. Or if a poet talks about the color red, he could be in love! As in math,
symbols in poetry often mean the same thing, like in those two examples of
summertime (happiness) and the color red (love). But be careful! Symbols in
poetry are not as straightforward as they are in math. Here are some examples of
symbols in poetry and math.
Math Symbols Other Common Symbols
x=3 river = adventure
y=9 spring = life
4=3+1=2+2=2x2=8/2=5-1 eagle = freedom
skull = death
Color Symbols
red = love OR anger full moon = danger
orange = energy rainbow = friendship, promise
yellow = happiness dove = peace
blue = sadness
green = jealousy
purple = royalty

* Challenge: what is the name for a


letter that represents a number in
math?

Lets Try It!

Activity 1
Identify the Connection! For this assignment, you will either be given a poem or
a math situation. You must identify the connection(s) (symmetry, patterns,
symbols) in each example. Then you must match the poem with a math situation
that relates or the math situation to a poem that relates!

Example: Match:

A.
The apples were green
1, 100, 10000, 1000000, 100000000
and so was his cloak.
The rabbits are mean
and they rarely croak.
connection:
B.
I was looking
for the answer
of a question
I knew not.
Match:
1.
A.
Once upon a long, long time,
I couldnt think of any rhyme.

B.
Buzz
goes
connection: __________________ the
bee.

Match:
2.
A.
5 + 3 = 8 x 1 = 10 - 2 = 32 / 4 I was so mad
that I turned red.
A skull and crossbones!
connection: __________________ I could have been dead!

B.
The old man jumped
because he was free.
But he broke his hip
because he was 93.

3. Match:

Roses are red, A.


Violets are blue.
I think I like math
more than you do!
B.
connection: __________________ 1x0=8-7-1=3+3-6
Match:
4.
A.
In her eyes,
their new friendship
was like a rainbow.

connection: __________________
B.
x = 3,000

Activity 2
Write a Diamante Poem (see How to Write Diamante Poem below)! Your poem
must include all three math and poetry connections (symmetry, a pattern, and a
symbol). Then, draw a picture using symmetry below your poem!

How to Write a Diamante Poem:


A Diamante poem is a diamond-shaped poem with seven lines. It is usually about
two different objects that the author describes. It does not have a title!

Line 1: ONE Noun (First Object)


Line 2: TWO Adjectives (About First Object)
Line 3: THREE Verbs (About First Object)
Line 4: FOUR Nouns (First TWO about First Object, Second Two about Second
Object)
Line 5: THREE Verbs (About Second Object)
Line 6: TWO Adjectives (About Second Object)
Line 7: ONE Noun (Second Object)
Example:
Red
Bright, Hot
Burning, Flaming, Itching
Fire, Blood, Water, Tears
Crying, Moving, Gushing
Cool, Soft
Blue

Write your poem on the lines provided! Draw a picture on the blank page below!

Author: _______________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ____

_________________________

__________________ ___________________

_______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

_______________ _______________ _______________

__________________ ___________________

_________________________

References

http://mathforgrownups.com/the-math-of-poetry-yep-theres-a-connection/

https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/loci/joma/mathematics-in-poetry

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/feb/04/maths-poetry-pi-fibonacci

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/nathans-poetry-anthology-1218441716204219-8/95/nathans-
poetry-anthology-17-728.jpg?cb=1218416530

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/diamante-
poems-30053.html

For more activities like this, visit

orlandomathcircle.org

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